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America; 1930-1936: The Dark Storm
Origins Up until October, 1929, many things had gone occurring to the course they went in OTL. The United States had gained a massive profit during the Great War, selling supplies to the Allied Entente Powers. Their involvement proved crucial to victory in the Great War. Finally achieving the status of a Great Power, the USA prospered in the United States during the 1920's in an era of American prosperity called the Roaring 20's. American technology, industry and economy experienced a massive boom even as the country was struck by a Prohibition amendment that banned alcohol and encouraged an illegal crime business as well as the rise of criminal gang enterprise. Americans, poor and rich put their faith and money into the stock market which prospered tremendously in a 10 year span. The Economic Boom grew even more when America loaned money to keep other Democratic nations afloat rather than permit a total Communist revolution across the world. The American economic boom seemed endless and that the prosperity would never end. To the detriment of almost all Americans, things were about to fall apart... The Great Depression By the end of August, 1929, Stock Prices in the United States had reached an all time high as everyone who had bought in over the course of the past decade had either gained a significant profit or were able to improve their lifestyles. This worked as long as stocks rose and prices stayed consistent. However, at the start of September, a problem began to take shape. As wages increased and people began to make more money, the companies increased prices so they could continue to make a profit. This created a steadily growing inflation problem in regards to prices but a deflation in the value of the money itself. With international trade declining and a rise in Tariffs per American foreign policy, this created a severe trade deficit and a severe decline in America's fishing industry. Farms were struggling to meet the rising prices in the cities, exacerbated by the lack of federal aid who developed a severe laissez faire policy. By September 8, these problems had come to a head as Americans began to sell their stocks and as we would now call it "Get out while the going's good." This exacerbated the problem as the small banks began to fail and stock prices started to drop. This created a panic as over the course of September and October, Millions of Americans sold their stocks and attempted to pull their money out of the banks. However, as the banks collapsed, the wages of millions of Americans vanished. The Federal Reserve and the government could have saved the banks by increasing the flow of money to force a deflation of prices and liquidity of profits. Instead, they turned a blind eye to their plot as America's Rich Elite got richer and the rest got poorer as employment was slashed, prices didn't drop and stocks continued to plummet. On October 29,1929, The United States Stock Market crashed. International trade grounded to a halt, the value of money plummeted and millions of Americans were now penniless and by the Peak of the Depression, 25% of Americans were unemployed, second in unemployment severity only to Germany. Despite the chaos, Hoover remained President as the government seemed paralyzed to resolve the economic crisis, the likes of which America and the world had never seen. Origins of the California Civil War Despite the chaos, Hoover remained President as the government seemed paralyzed to resolve the economic crisis, the likes of which America and the world had never seen. In California, a young man named Thomas Norton II, descendant of the self proclaimed "Emperor Norton", was a former Great War soldier and reconnaissance scout whose military wages had been eliminated by the Depression. Norton moved from San Francisco to Crescent City at this time. At the request of a close war confidant, Lieutenant Alex Hanson, Norton spoke to a crowd of 5,000 on April 2, 1930, advocating a Reformed California under a strong leader, with no divisions based on race, gender or ethnicity. He received mixed responses as California had been hit by the Depression but not as far severely as the East. However, by 1930's end, California's most prosperous cities had all gone bankrupt and were struggling to occupy its masses. The Democratic Party seemed paralyzed and only radical groups seemed to offer a solution. Norton and Lieutenant Hanson along with 5,000 devoted followers met at the Crescent City Town Hall and established by a unanimous vote the Golden Guard, a Nationalist Party united under Norton's leadership. In the South, Socialist factions were active as a Mexican American Immigrant named Alberto Luis galvanized Mexican American and Californian farmers to arm. Culbert Olsen and the Democrats were oblivious to the problem. From 1930-1933, the Democrats had the advantage and the radical factions had very limited support. But in 1934, strikes, civil unrest and rebellions shattered the Democrat stronghold on the government. Nationalist and Socialist factions began to gain a strong following and by 1936, the Democrat majority had been broken as the government was split between 3 parties. A moderate breakaway faction couldn't succeed either and soon was reabsorbed by the Democrats. Thomas Norton and the Nationalist Golden Guard had the initiative as Norton had constructed arsenals and recruited valuable allies to set his followers apart from the others. New uniforms, a new flag, and new technologies were produced over the course of 1931-1936. But before Norton could launch a rebellion against the state government, national events changed the plan entirely. Collapse of the United States: March, 1936 On January 5, 1936, 5 million Americans stormed Capitol Hill. A state of emergency was declared as communist, syndicalist, socialist, anarchist, nationalist, fascist, and discontented democratic rebels surround the capital, demanding Hoover’s resignation. 15,000 Golden Guard members join the rebels, demanding Hoover resign and Norton be placed in charge. The rebels agree that Hoover must be forced out of office but can't agree on what to do once this succeeds. From January 5- March 24, 1936, the Rebels stood on the steps of the Capitol, threatening to break into the White House and kill the President. Congress was deadlocked from January till March 22nd. Finally, on March 23, 1936, a final vote for dismissal is released but it was too late. The next morning as Hoover departed the White House, he was gunned down and bayoneted and the rebels stormed in. Congress surrendered and the National Government collapsed. 56 members of Congress were killed and 260 were injured. The rebels now went their separate ways to stabilize their states and chart a new course for their future. The Philippines attempted to break away but Americans and Filipino loyalists that supported the United States maintained control as did the Americans in Hawaii, Alaska and it's island possessions in the Pacific. Some states stabilized, others formed unions for protection, some collapsed completely and others fell into civil war. The most prominent Civil Wars will take place in California and Washington.